Ash trays



Feb. 15, 1966 P. K. SCHlLLlNG 5 ASH TRAYS Filed Dec. 20, 1962 INVENTOR P401. h. SCH L LING BY QMWQ ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice This invention relates to an improvement in ash trays and deals particularly with an ash tray which may be used for advertising purposes.

Ash trays have been found to be a good effective means of advertising. For example, ash trays which are used in public places such as restaurants, taverns, and the like are used by a large percentage of the customers, and even when not used, they are on the tables or counters where they are readily seen. Disposable ash trays have been produced which have been printed with the name of the I I advertiser. However, such disposable ash trays are usually light in weight and are not as easily used as similar products of a heavier nature and as a result have not proven particularly satisfactory. Ash trays of a more permanent character are usually produced of glass or plastic, and in order to effectively advertise, the advertisement must be in the mold used in forming the trays. Obviously, this was too expensive a proposition to be used by advertisers using only a relatively small number of the products.

An object of the present invention resides in the provision of an ash tray formed of plastic or similar material, and which is provided with a raised center portion having an aperture or recess therein. A resilient plug is engaged in this recess, the plug being preferably formed of light spring metal on which the advertisers name may be printed or embossed at relatively low cost. Thus the ash tray is adaptable for use by various advertisers without change in the mold or die, and the advertisement may be readily inserted for each customer. As a result, the cost of production of the finished product is materially reduced.

A feature of the present invention resides in an ash tray of the type described which includes a raised central portion which may be covered by a plug or disk on which the name of the advertiser is printed or embossed. This central portion of the ash tray may then be used for putting out a cigarette by pressing the lighted end of the cigarette against the printed or embossed area. When this is done, the attention of the user is drawn to the advertisement, as it is difiicult to snuff out the cigarette without actually looking at the cigarette, and the area of the ash tray against which it is pressed.

A feature of the present invention resides in the general form of construction of the ash tray itself. The ash tray comprises two concentric ring-shaped troughs including a wall between the troughs which extends above the level of the remainder of the ash tray. The outer trough is generally U-shaped in cross section with the outer rim of the tray somewhat below the level of the inner rim. The inner trough shaped ring is somewhat shallower than the outer ring, and is also generally U-shaped in cross section, with the inner wall of the trough forming a generally frusto-conical sleeve. Notches are formed in angularly spaced relation about the periphery of the wall connecting the two trough-shaped rings, these notches being of proper width to frictionally engage a cigarette. A frusto-conical sleeve is provided, in preferred construction, with an opening therethrough. A disk of metal normally closes this opening, the disk being provided with a series of angularly spaced spring fingers extending downwardly therefrom from a point inwardly of the outer edge thereof, these spring fingers engaging into the interior of the sleeve and holding the disk engaged therein. The upper surface of Patented Feb. 15, 1966 the disk is preferably embossed or printed to provide an advertisement.

These and other objects and novel features of the present invention will be more clearly and fully set forth in the following specifications and claim.

In the drawings forming a part of the specification:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the ash tray showing the general arrangement of parts therein.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view through the ash tray, the section being taken on a vertical plane through the center of the ash tray.

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of the ash tray illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2.

The ash tray A is of the shape generally illustrated in FIGURE 2 of the drawings. The tray includes an outer ring-shaped trough 10 and a concentric inner trough illustrated in general by the numeral 11. The outer trough 10 includes a downwardly and inwardly inclined side wall portion 12 which terminates at its upper end with a reinforcing lip 13. The lower end of the outer wall 12 is connected by a curved connecting portion 14 to an upwardly and inwardly inclined wall 15. The wall 15 has its upper surface 16 preferably above the level of the upper end of the wall 12.

The inner trough 11 is also generally U-shaped in cross section and includes an outer downwardly and inwardly inclined wall 17 which curves to form a generally flat bottom portion 19, the inner edge of which curves to form an upwardly and inwardly inclined inner wall 20. The portions of the walls 15 and 17 are connected at points substantially spaced from the common upper edge 16 thereof as indicated at 21 to form thickened connecting portions which increase the strength of the structure and which also permit the upper edge 16 to be notched to provide angularly spaced notches 22 which are of proper width to frictionally engage the cigarette which would normally have its lighted end extending toward the center of the ash tray.

A short inwardly extending flange 23 is provided at the upper end of the inner trough wall 20, leaving a circular opening 24 through the center of the ash tray in the preferred form of construction. The aperture 24 is normally closed by a plug 25 which is best illustrated in FIGURE 3 of the drawings. The plug 25 includes a circular disk 26 which may be slightly convex on its upper surface and which is provided with an inturned ring-shaped flange 27 at its periphery to form a rounded outer edge. A series of spring fingers 29 extend downwardly from the flange 27, these fingers normally diverging outwardly in their upper portions 30 and having downwardly and inwardly inclined ends 31. The portions 30 of the fingers 29 are designed to engage against and somewhat beneath the flange 23 thereby securely holding the plug 25 in position. The inturned lower ends of the fingers 29 simplify the insertion of the plug. The upper surface of the disk 26 is preferably embossed or printed to provide the advertisement.

The ash tray thus produced is capable of supporting a number of cigarettes, making a single ash tray capable of serving a number of persons, such as when the ash tray is used on a card table or the like. The central plug portion of the ash tray is designed to serve as a snuffer for putting out the cigarettes, and in this operation, the lighted end of the cigarette is pressed against the plug portion, and the smoker instinctively has his attention directed to the advertisement appearing thereon.

When the ash trays are used in greater volume, the mold is provided with a removable circular plug which may either form the aperture 23 in which case the plug portion on the male portion of the mold abuts against the female portion of the mold or may terminate short of the female portion. In this case, the removable central plug may be embossed to provide the advertisement in an integral plastic portion of the mold which takes the place of the plug 25.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my improvement in plastic ash trays, and while I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that changes may be made within the scope of the following claim without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

An ash tray including:

an outer circular trough of generally U-shaped section,

an inner circular trough having its outer wall comprising the inner Wall of the outer trough,

said troughs being formed of a material which is a relatively poor conductor of heat such as molded plastic, said inner Wall of said inner trough defining a central opening, and

a resilient cap of a material having relatively high heat conductivity frictionally engaged in said opening and closing the same.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS D. 112,641 12/1938 Land.

D. 116,973 10/1939 Kuhlman.

D. 143,835 2/1946 Leeberg.

D. 164,120 7/1951 Mahony.

1,753,631 4/1930 Walters 220-60 1,802,938 4/1931 Burger 131-240 2,016,071 10/1935 Butler. 2,285,365 6/1942 Schuylander 131238 X 2,497,827 2/ 1950 Trafton 220-60 2,591,175 4/1952 Martin 131-239 X SAMUEL KOREN, Primary Examiner.

JOSEPH S. REICH, Examiner, 

